Wildeshausen
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Wildeshausen (
Low Saxon Low Saxon, also known as West Low German ( nds, Nedersassisch, Nedersaksies; nl, Nedersaksisch) are a group of Low German dialects spoken in parts of the Netherlands, northwestern Germany and southern Denmark (in North Schleswig by parts of th ...
: ''Wilshusen'') is a town and the capital of the Oldenburg district in
Lower Saxony Lower Saxony (german: Niedersachsen ; nds, Neddersassen; stq, Läichsaksen) is a German state (') in northwestern Germany. It is the second-largest state by land area, with , and fourth-largest in population (8 million in 2021) among the 16 ...
,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is situated by the river
Hunte Hunte is a long river in north-western Germany (Lower Saxony), a left tributary of the Weser. The Hunte rises in the Wiehen Hills. In the North German Plain it flows through lake Dümmer. It flows generally northwards through the towns Bad Es ...
.


History

In 1648, Wildeshausen and the surrounding district was ceded to
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
, in the
Peace of Westphalia The Peace of Westphalia (german: Westfälischer Friede, ) is the collective name for two peace treaties signed in October 1648 in the Westphalian cities of Osnabrück and Münster. They ended the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and brought pea ...
, where it was given as a fief to
Gustav Gustavsson af Vasaborg Count Gustav Gustavsson of Vasaborg, 1st Count of Nystad (24 April 1616 – 25 October 1653) was a Swedish noble and military officer. Biography He was a son of King Gustavus Adolphus (''Gustav II Adolf'') and his mistress Margareta Slots. I ...
, an illegitimate son of King
Gustavus Adolphus Gustavus Adolphus (9 December Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">N.S_19_December.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/nowiki>Old Style and New Style dates">N.S 19 December">Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="/now ...
, as a part of the
Swedish Dominion The Dominions of Sweden or ''Svenska besittningar'' ("Swedish possessions") were territories that historically came under control of the Swedish Crown, but never became fully integrated with Sweden. This generally meant that they were ruled by ...
of
Bremen-Verden ), which is a public-law corporation established in 1865 succeeding the estates of the Prince-Archbishopric of Bremen (established in 1397), now providing the local fire insurance in the shown area and supporting with its surplusses cultural effor ...
. In 1679, following the
Treaty of Nijmegen The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen ('; german: Friede von Nimwegen) were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and October 1679. The treaties ended various interconnected wars among France, the Dutch Republi ...
, it was pawned, to the prince-bishop of
Münster Münster (; nds, Mönster) is an independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a state distr ...
, in exchange for a loan of 100,000
Riksdaler The svenska riksdaler () was the name of a Swedish coin first minted in 1604. Between 1777 and 1873, it was the currency of Sweden. The daler, like the dollar,''National Geographic''. June 2002. p. 1. ''Ask Us''. was named after the German Thaler. ...
.


Attractions

There are stone monuments and old burial places dating to the third millennium BC. One of these areas, Kleinenkneter Steine, was reconstructed in the 1930s. The local Tourist Center, located in the old Rathaus (Town hall) has maps for tours and walks.


Kurpark

The "Kurpark" has a fountain, concert-shell and a wading pool and is in the Luftkurort (fresh air park) Wildeshausen. During the summer month concerts take place every Sunday morning at 11 a.m. The tattoo (or tabs) occurs on Pfingst Sonntag, (Pentecost Sunday) at night, when the "Schützengilde" from 1403 presents a firework to open the traditional "Gildefest".


St.Peter Church

An ecumenical ceremony on November 27, 1998 re-opened the St. Peter Church for divine services. From August 2, 1997 until then the
Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
used the facilities of the Alexander Church by invitation. The church had to be closed because of structural problems. 16 months were needed for re-construction. From 1699 on the Alexander Church was used for evangelic
Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
services. During this year Sweden became the ruling faction. The Catholics bought a house with several additional buildings and out of a barn "a church like building" was developed. During 1700 to 1803 Hannover ruled, Catholics were not allowed to build a new church. Only in 1810, when Oldenburg took over Wildeshausen the Catholics were allowed freedom to follow their religion. They built their church, which opened on November 24, 1811. The church had to be closed again due to structural mistakes, making it unsafe. In 1824 the current church was finally built, without a tower. The tower was erected in 1910. "The times of division between the religious communities are, thank God, over now" was stated by R. Gryczan/H.Holtmann.


Marketplace

In the middle of Wildeshausen is the
marketplace A marketplace or market place is a location where people regularly gather for the purchase and sale of provisions, livestock, and other goods. In different parts of the world, a marketplace may be described as a '' souk'' (from the Arabic), ' ...
. The pointed gables of the surrounding houses faced the street. On the remaining houses stone façades have replaced the former wooden gables. The "Markt Brunnen"(fountain) was built in 1747 by master Theophil from Bremen.This fountain was used for drinking by men and animals. Wildeshausen was located on an old trade route. In
pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...
times an "Irmen Säule " stood here. After the town was "captured by Münster" in 1529 the Mayor Jakob Lickenberg was executed here. A stone by the Market Brunnen in the Market Place is in memory of this. In 1990 Wildeshausen erected a new town hall with "Glockenspiel" and moving figures.


Waltbert

In the "Westerstraße" there is a sculpture, Waltbert. In 851, Waltbert, a grandson of Widukind, brought the relics of St. Alexander from Rome to Wildeshausen to further Christianity in the sparsely populated area. The sculpture shows Waltbert on his horse, in his hands the relic of St. Alexander. Then follows his name, the year 851 and the word "translatio". The "translatio Alexandri" once was described by the monks of Fulda.


Whitsun: "Gildefest"

A week-long festival, the "Gildfest", has occurred in Wildeshausen on Whitsun (
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
: ''Pfingsten'') since 1403. The Mayor is the General of the Guild. The town director is the chief of protocol (Major). A related expression is: "The town of Wildeshausen is the "Schützengilde" and the Schützengilde is the town of Wildeshausen". A granite sculpture, called "cylinder", by A. Boldt represents the Schützengilde in the inner city.


Alexander Church

The founding of the Alexander Church goes back to 814. In 807 Waltbert, a grandson of Duke Wittekind, brought the relics of the sainted Alexander from Rome by way of the Alpine mountains to Wildeshausen. Alexander died, as well as his mother and 6 brothers, as executed martyrs during the persecution of Christians in the first century. Waltbert donated a "Chorherren Stift" (a type of monastery, where the cleric lived to the rules of the Benedictines) named "Alexander Kapitel". It was to be used as a mission for the surrounding area (called Lerigau, or Largau). Wildeshausen became a place of pilgrimage, benefiting it economically. The Church and "Stift" owned treasures and were decorated with pictures. During renovation frescos were discovered. The Alexander Church is the only basilica in the area of Oldenburg. The style documents the transition from the late Roman to the early gothic style of the 13th century.


Pestruper Burial Ground

In the Bronze Age, when bronze replaced the hard to produce stone tools, the inhabitants of this area remained here. They began to en-tomb their dead now in burial grounds. The Pestruper Burial Ground is the only preserved such structure in Europe. It is situated about 800 meters from the river Hunte.500 tombs, different in form and size, are evidence of the settlement that 600 years B.C. buried their urns with the ashes there. For each individual urn a hill would be erected, created with sods of grass. During the examination of the "kings tombs (Königshügel) traces of the earlier stone age. Ritual plough traces from the Bronze Age were discovered. 1100-700 B.C. The 'kings tombs' (''Königshügel'') consist of burials from different ages (late
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
to pre-Roman
Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...
). The farmers, breeders, hunters and fishermen were contemporaries of "Ötzi" from the
ice age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gree ...
.


People from Wildeshausen

*
Wigald Boning Wigald Boning (born 20 January 1967) is a German comedian, television presenter, actor, and author. Boning has appeared in different TV and film productions in Germany. He became famous as an actor in the television comedy programme '' RTL Sam ...
, German comedian and actor * Jacob H. Muckerheide, Wisconsin politician


International relations

Wildeshausen is twinned with: *
Hertford Hertford ( ) is the county town of Hertfordshire, England, and is also a civil parish in the East Hertfordshire district of the county. The parish had a population of 26,783 at the 2011 census. The town grew around a ford on the River Lea, ne ...
, United Kingdom Hertford twinning Hertford.gov.uk
/ref> *
Évron Évron () is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France. On 1 January 2019, the former communes Châtres-la-Forêt and Saint-Christophe-du-Luat were merged into Évron. Évron (pop. 8,700) is noted for the Basilica of Notre-Dame ...
, France


References

{{Authority control Dominions of Sweden Oldenburg (district)